Applecrystal took a quick killing bite on the black fur. It laid limp dead. Now, his loyalty would never be questioned without his mother.

"Applecrystal-," Hollytuft moaned before her last breath faded away.

Applecrystal woke up in a jolt. He saw himself killing his own mother...but was she really his mother anymore? Hollytuft is a traitor breaking the warrior code.

The sun wasn't yet up and cats were sleeping except the guards. Applecrystal yawned and walked out of the warriors den, towards the elder's den. There he saw Sunpaw, Crystalpaw, and Shimmerpaw along with the elders, Poppyfrost and Berrynose. Carefully, not to wake any cat up, he nudged Shimmerpaw.

Shimmerpaw moaned but blinked in surprise seeing Applecrystal's face. "Good morning." He said politely in a whisper.

"Can I help you?" Shimmerpaw asked with a wondering whisker twitching.

"I was just going to ask for a walk. A trip around the territory?" Applecrystal meowed back.

"Sure, I guess. Did Lionstar say yes?" Shimmerpaw questioned.

He lied. "Of course he did. C'mon, let's go."

Shimmerpaw, the MorningClan warrior, headed out of the den behind Applecrystal. She stretched once she was open instead of a cramped space arching her perfect back bone. Her perfect yellow fur was pale in the moon sky. To think of it, she was almost gorgeous as Oakice.

"Why me instead of Sunpaw?" Shimmerpaw meowed on the way. "And why aren't we going from the entrance?"

Applecrystal smiled smugly and meowed. "Cause Sunpaw is assigned to a different cat. And this way is faster."

The yellow tabby paused. "What's your plan? I hope ThunderClan isn't behind all this. I can fight, and I do not want you underestimating me." Her was stood alert, and her yellow eyes observed every twitch.

Applecrystal hid in a bush and hid. By the sudden move, Shimmerpaw was suprised, unable to move. Using that moment the black tom climbed above the tree. He twisted and sprang towards Shimmerpaw aiming for her throat. If only he could kill her and Sunpaw, no would know he is a son of traitors!

But he underestimated the she cat. Shimmerpaw twisted, dodging his strike and used her swift paws to pin him down. "We're you trying to kill me? You were aiming for my throat!"

"I am and you're going to be dead.! Applecrystal replied smugly as he pounced on her. But Shimmerpaw kicked his leg knocking him over, "What is it with you?"

Before Applecrystal could reply, he had a weird voice in his head. Bend down, than strike for her throat. Blood, blood, blood, a nice clean kill would fill my appetite. This was not his own thoughts but he bend down, than aimed his paws for her throat. Blood trickled on the yellow fur.

"You...you're...the one..." Shimmerpaw said something before her final breath. Applecrystal tasted the blood. Salty, something he has never felt. Why did it feel so satisfying? It felt like he killed a fox with one blow without anycat's help.

But what was that strange voice? The taste of blood was still left in his tongues.

Why was he doing this though? Killing a cat? But she was a intruder from a different clan. She could be spying. She's eating prey that we caught in harsh leaf bare anyways. He was doing this for the clan even.

He cleaned Shimmerpaw nicely without his scent. Added some fox scent With their dungs, a fox that has been wondering ThunderClan since yesterday. Than he ran back to camp screaming,

"Shimmerpaw is dead!"

Every cat waked up...why would they not? A fellow intruder was dead. Some warriors must be happy deep inside their hearts. She couldn't be trusted, most of the cats in his clan must be relived in their true self.

**********

"It's sad isn't it Applecrystal?" Oakice meowed bitterly eyeing the limp body of Shimmerpaw.

"Yeah...." Applecrystal lied to her not feeling sad at all.

"She was a good cat. Her stories were good as Poppyfrost's, and the funniest cat I known."

Applecrystal was surprised by Oakice's praise and comments for Shimmerpaw. She'll get over it.After all, she's just saying that since it's moaning and Lionstar would just punish her if she didn't be like that.

Sunpaw and Crystalpaw was the only ones who were actually grieving. Poppyfrost seemed sad too, but she's old. Gaining age must've gotten her weird. At least Beerynose has some sense.

A stranger, a intruder wasn't going to weaken the clan. Applecrystal did something for his clan, along with helping himself. It was part of serving the clan.

But he wondered what that voice was. His inner voice perhaps? But Applecrystal's heart was not that dark is it? A mishearing, he concluded. Though when he moved the way his inner voice was saying, it landed with a clean killing bite. And echoing The word "blood" over and over, was that really him come to think of it? Who cares though, no one can see through his mind.

"I'm sorry we had to make your whole clan take sometime for our grief." Crystalpaw emerged to Applecrystal with her gaze low.

"She was a visitor, but every warrior who lost their life should earn moaning. It is not the warrior code, but I believe she died like a warrior." Applecrystal lied with a sad expression. Oakice, who was beside him added,

"Without the code we are just rogues anyway. Applecrystal said she died fighting, a honorable way to die." The brown she cat smiled kindly.

"Thank you. I can't thank you enough." Crystalpaw lightly bowed her small foot bending down.

Applecrystal just nodded. When Crystalpaw went off to Sunpaw, Oakice whispered to his ear. "That was nice Applecrystal."

"Thanks." He answered happily. If Crystalpaw and Sunpaw, the intruders who possibly knew his father told the truth to the clan, how can he gain happiness? He wanted Oakice, her blossom ping muzzle touching his, her light sand fur brushing to his black. How can he bare risking his own happiness?

An idea pinged on Applecrystal.

"This could not be the right time...but Oakice, I love you." The black tom smiled shyly his ears flattening out. Oakice widened her eyes than dropped her gaze.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to have relationships, or a mate. I just want to be the best warrior I can for now." Oakice apologized.

Applecrystal was heartbroken, she didn't like him back. Than, that stranger voice, the inner voice he calls it spoken to him. Kill her...a sip of her blood would be tastier than Shimmerpaw. C'mon...don't hesitate... But he didn't kill her. Instead he growled, "You betrayed me Oakice. You'll never be happy without me."